Daily Edition: San José, Costa Rica, February 14,  2003

CRICKET ANYONE?: Even though you won't catch it on local TV, several websites will allow you keep up to date on the latest results from the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Photo / AFP

Finance Minister Warns
Of Economic Crisis
Finance Minister Jorge Walter Bolaños got tough with Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute's (ICE) labor unions, warning yesterday that the country could face a terrible economic crisis in 2005 similar to the one it faced during the early 1980s if measures aimed at curbing government spending and controlling the fiscal deficit are not taken soon.
(Click for more)

Anti-War Protests to Take Place in All
Central American Countries Saturday
Central American student groups, labor unions and organizations from all ends of the social spectrum will convene in the capital cities of all the Central American countries on Saturday to protest the proposed war against Iraq.
(Click for more)

Cricket Fans Won't Find
Cup on Local TV
Local fans hoping to watch the Cricket
World Cup South Africa 2003 on television
may feel they have been bowled out for a duck.
(Click for more)

U.S. Embassy Will Be Closed On Monday

The U.S. Embassy will remain closed on Monday, Feb. 17 for the Presidents' Day holiday. The embassy will reopen on Tuesday Feb. 18 at 8:30 a.m..

HAPPY SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY!!!
Lots of restaurants offer delicious dinners for those in love. Here is a list of places you can go out with your beloved.

Hotel Costa Rica Marriott, 298-0858, in San Antonio de Belén,

Hotel Tara 228-6992, Escazú.

Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant, 228


Four new cinemas in Liberia Guanacaste, celebrate their grand opening tonight. See this week’s movie schedule in today’s print edition for films and showtimes.

Finance Minister Warns
Of Economic Crisis

Finance Minister Jorge Walter Bolaños got tough with Costa Rican Electricity and Telecom Institute's (ICE) labor unions, warning yesterday that the country could face a terrible economic crisis in 2005 similar to the one it faced during the early 1980s if measures aimed at curbing government spending and controlling the fiscal deficit are not taken soon.

Bolaños warned the country could once again face inflation levels similar to those registered during the 1981-82 crisis. During those years, inflation reached 81%, the colon lost 152% of its value against the dollar and thousands of families saw their quality of life and purchasing power sharply reduced.

"This would mean that a basic good that today costs ¢1,000 ($3) would cost ¢1,820 ($5.5) a year from now," he explained. "This also means that an import product that now costs ¢1000 ($3) would like end up costing ¢2,520 ($9)."

"This would be a terrible the nation's poorest citizens, workers, retirees, and small farmers. During such a crisis, people's salaries and pensions wouldn't be enough to cover price increases," Bolaños warned. "This would make everyone in the country poorer and would likely lead to increased unemployment. Since people would have less money to spend, they would buy less goods and the companies that produce these goods would be forced to fire workers."

Bolaños made the remarks in response to pressure from union leaders threatening to go on strike Feb. 19 to protest proposed cuts to the ICE's 2003 budget (see Tico Times Print Edition).

He noted that between 2001 and 2002 ICE's expenditures increased by 36%, rising from ¢231 billion ($608 million) to ¢361 million ($950 million). ICE had originally budgeted ¢517 billion ($1.4 billion) for this year -- 64% more than the year before.

Bolaños considers this spending increase to be unsustainable at a time when every government institution is doing its part to limit spending.

However, Fabio Chávez, leader of the ICE Workers Front (FIT), accused the Pacheco Administration of wanting to paralyze the institution's development of crucial electricity and telecommunications projects in order to weaken it and later privatize it.

ICE's board of directors has warned the cuts would likely cause delays in the issuing of 400,000 cell-phone lines, 100,000 regular phone lines, 50,000 broadband Internet connections, and 12,500 electric connections this year and could force laying off 700 workers at the Pirrís hydroelectric project and at the Miravalles geothermal plant in the northwest province of Guanacaste.

Pacheco has repeatedly denied he intends to sell ICE and has promised that none of the institution's employees would lose their jobs as a result of the austerity measures. (TT Daily Page, Jan. 22, 30)

Anti-War Protests to Take Place in All
Central American Countries Saturday

Central American student groups, labor unions and organizations from all ends of the social spectrum will convene in the capital cities of all the Central American countries on Saturday to protest the proposed war against Iraq.

In Costa Rica, the Friends Peace Center is organizing a rally starting from Plaza de la Cultura in downtown San José from 2 to 6 p.m. that will include poetry readings, music and anti-war chants.

In El Salvador, a march dubbed the Festival of Justice and Peace will start at 10 a.m. The event, which is being organized by the Citizens' Alliance Against Privatization (ACCP), will proceed through downtown San Salvador and will conclude in front of the U.S. Embassy.

In Nicaragua, a rally will be held at 10 a.m. local time at the Metrocentro rotunda in Managua. In Guatemala, members of the disbanded Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union (URNG) guerrilla group and other social groups will hold a march across the capital city that will end at the U.S. Embassy.

In Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the Popular Bloc, an alliance of workers unions, student groups and urban professionals, will hold a rally at noon.

In Panama City at noon protesters will march down the city's main streets and call for peace in Iraq.

-AFP